February Corporate Citizenship Highlights

TrendingTopic_20150227The 2014 State of Corporate Citizenship shows that executives are finding more value in corporate citizenship than ever before. This support is imperative to the success of CSR initiatives. Corporate citizenship professionals are increasingly expected to quantitatively demonstrate the impacts of their programs to measure the results of company investments in both the business and social arenas. By evaluating and measuring their programs, corporate citizenship professionals can establish the value of their efforts and obtain the data necessary to continually improve programs—and also gain executive buy-in.

Along these lines, New York Magazine featured a study recently detailing the positive effects of volunteering—both for the employee and the company. Researchers found that—even when total actual free time is controlled for—employees who volunteer are happier with their work-life balance, are less stressed, and less likely to feel burned out at work. Such research underlines a recent focus on employee treatment from policymakers, the media, and employees themselves—a focus that that is highlighted by developments such as Walmart’s wage increase.  By raising the pay of their lowest level workers to at least $9 later this spring, Walmart joins the ranks of companies like IKEA, Gap Inc., and The Walt Disney Company, who have proactively raised their lowest compensation bands to maintain an engaged workforce.

To learn more about making the most of your CSR program through strategy development and the use of data and metrics, consider joining the Center for one of their professional development courses. In addition, be sure to check out these great Center resources:

Open for all

  • Learn more about strategic planning and evaluation and measurement, as well as a wide array of other topics and issues, at the 2015 International Corporate Citizenship Conference.
  • Do you want to “get to better”? Find out how you can use data to drive corporate citizenship success in this month’s Executive Director blog.
  • Discover the top three questions and actions for envisioning a better corporate citizenship strategy.
  • Check out our upcoming webinar outlining the potential of a good social media presence, which can help you evaluate your audience as well as communicate your efforts.
  • For more on how a digital presence can help you drive your CSR strategy, check out our latest #CSRChat.
  • How can your leaders help drive CSR success? Research finds that companies seeking to implement strategic corporate citizenship are better served by leaders who provide managers with intellectual stimulation and makes a case for corporate citizenship that is germane to business strategy.*

Members only 

  • To learn more about aligning employee engagement with corporate strategy, be sure to check out this one-hour webinar featuring Humana’s Corporate Social Responsibility Leader Catherine McGlown and Discovery Education’s National Director of Education Partnerships & Social Responsibility Elizabeth Lipscomb.
  • A 2012 study finds that companies benefit more when they adopt a corporate citizenship engagement strategy that is consistent, involves related dimensions of corporate citizenship, and begins with aspects of corporate citizenship that are more internal to the firm.
  • When planning your CSR strategy, be sure to know your audience. Research finds that young consumers are interested in and expect more explicit CSR communication. They favor communication that is personally relevant and factually based, and they are more likely to believe communications claims. Rather than associating CSR with companies doing good or doing what’s right, they may see it as a matter of good practice.

* This research brief is being provided freely to nonmembers. Research Briefs are distributed monthly to Center members, and provide summaries of recent or seminal research findings from corporate practice and academic study that offer insights and tools corporate citizenship practitioners can apply to their work.

 

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